Immunophenotypic Analysis of Hematologic Malignancy by Laser Scanning Cytometry

The authors tested a newly-developed computerized laser scanning cytometer (LSC) as a means of performing immunophenotypic analysis of hematologic specimens within their community hospital.Results were compared on a case-by-case basis with parallel flow cytometric and immunohistochemical data.A total of 71 specimens analyzed include 22 excised lymph nodes or other tissue biopsies, 18 peripheral bloods, 17 bone marrow aspirates, 7 body fluids, and 7 fine-needle aspiration biopsies of lymphoid tissue.The LSC proved to be a useful instrument capable of generating simultaneous two-color immunofluorescent data directly analogous to that obtained via conventional flow cytometry.Modern diagnostic characterization of hematologic neoplasms is increasingly dependent on immunophenotypic analysis that is usually performed by flow cytometry.1 " 6 Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry provides objective data that is necessary for the subclassification of leukemia and lymphoma, and that can often definitively establish or exclude a diagnosis of malignancy in seemingly borderline cases.7 "'' Drawbacks of flow cytometry include relatively large specimen size requirements and the inability to microscopically examine the cells being studied.Until now, alternatives to flow cytometry have been few, including only immunohistochemical methods that suffer from a lack of objectivity and that generally compromise the number of antigens that can be analyzed.12 " 14 Computerized laser scanning cytometry is a newly developed technology that provides an alternative to flow cytometric immunophenotyping, and offers several unique advantages.1516 Similar to flow cytometry, laser scanning cytometry provides objective, automated,